September is biodiversity month, and this year we’re marking the occasion by providing $34.77 million for 89 new projects that will go a long way to improving biodiversity and helping us deliver our ambitious environmental agenda – to ensure Victoria’s environment is healthy, valued and actively cared for over the years to come.

Eighty-five of the new projects are for on-ground biodiversity action and are being provided with $33.67 million of funding. A further $1.1 million is being provided to four new projects for Marine Environment Targeted Actions.

These projects are part of the Government’s $86.3 million investment to implement Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037, over four years; the most significant investment in protecting our biodiversity ever provided by a Victorian Government.

Talking about investing in our future, I’d like to congratulate the next generation of our environmental volunteers who were recently awarded a 2018 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant. More than $400,000 was made available to 109 successful grant recipients, which included schools, kindergartens, childcare centres, Scouts, Guides, and youth groups. The grants funding supports educational and on-ground projects that restore, protect or enhance habitat for native plants and animals.

And best wishes to the State finalists from Victoria who are representing our state at the 2018 National Landcare Awards, which will be announced on 11 October at the awards ceremony in Brisbane.  

Now it’s the time to sow and a time for plants to grow, so it’s important that our soils are healthy. This issue of the magazine is packed with information on the latest in soil research and soil management.